Description

Monsanto Chronicle of Scandal by Mathieu Asselin

Shortlisted for the 2017 PhotoBook Awards in Paris.
Signed copies until stock last

Asselin’s photographs become a sort of testament to what happens when the well-being of the future is traded for profit in the present. – Lewis Bush

Monsanto has had a rapid rise and a more than colourful history marked by coverups and scandals: dioxins in PCB coolants, genetically modified products such as the bovine growth hormone Posilac and the production of the defoliant Agent Orange. The company is still highly controversial, irritating scientists, environmental organisations and human rights associations and acting in a way that makes people doubt the harmlessness of its products. As a manufacturer of food and animal feed, seeds and chemical products, Monsanto is relentlessly developing and marketing new technologies.

The monopoly it has arguably secured by dubious means bears no relation to its negligence with regard to potential risks. Particularly in light of the devastating consequences that are still causing suffering to people and the environment in many places, the company’s self-portrayal as a forward-looking, omnipotent force for good seems cynical.